Artists petition Student Affairs and KUT for the Cactus Cafe

The artists in the long list below sent this letter to UT Vice President for Student Affairs Juan González and KUT General Manager Stewart Vanderwilt.

Dr. Juan C. Gonzalez
Vice President for Student Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin
PO Box 7699
Austin, TX 78713

Mr. Stewart Vanderwilt
KUT Director and General Manager
1 University Station A0704
Austin, TX 78712

Via electronic mail: juan.gonzalez@austin.utexas.edu, svanderwilt@kut.org

Dear Dr. Gonzalez and Mr. Vanderwilt,

The Austin music scene has always lent support to fellow artists and music institutions in times of need. Each of the artists listed below has played at the Cactus and we have agreed to sign and submit this letter. Our purpose is to express our strong opposition to the proposed “KUT” model and our support for the preservation of the “self-operating” Cactus Cafe, as it has existed for the past three decades.

Great sound, a warm and friendly atmosphere, experienced professional management, considerate staff, and an overall adherence to an artistic vision, have made the Cactus Cafe a world-class listening room. Time and again, artists have expressed their love and support for the venue and its dedicated staff, whose creative vision nurtured the artists and produced so many legendary shows. The self-operating model protects and promotes the Cactus Cafe that artists and live music fans know and love.

On the other hand, the KUT model diminishes the spirit of the Cactus and compromises its listening room integrity by:

• Ousting the entire Cactus staff of thirteen, including the longtime artistic director and manager, the sound engineers, the longtime bar manager and bartenders, and ten part-time student employees;
• Dividing programming responsibilities between KUT and student organizations, which diminishes the possibility of consistent on-going programming; and
• Not managing a daily operating cafe and bar, meaning the bar and cafe will necessarily be operated by a separate business entity whose interests in profitability may not be aligned with maintaining a quiet room for the sake of the song.

Rather than risk the history, heritage and reputation of the renowned Cactus Cafe, please preserve the “self-operating” Cactus Cafe and the management and staff that artists and live music fans know and love. Save the Cactus of January 29, 2010 for future artists and live music fans.

In Music,

Bukka Allen
Terry Allen
Dave Alvin
Audrey Auld
Lee Barber
Thad Beckman
Aimee Bobruk
Richard Bowden
Ray Bonneville
Adam Carroll
Hayes Carll
Peter Case
Slaid Cleaves
Elizabeth Cook
Richard Dobson
Kim Deschamps
Kat Edmonson
Ana Egge
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Guy Forsyth
Michael Fracasso
Mary Gauthier
David Garza
Eliza Gilkyson
John Gorka
Joe Gracey
Dan Grissom
Nathan Hamilton
Butch Hancock
Terri Hendrix
Carolyn Hester
Sara Hickman
John Inmon
Southpaw Jones
Will Kimbrough
Shelley King
Wiley Koepp
Ian Moore
Matt the Electrician
Danny Malone
Chris Masterson
Romi Mayes
Ian McLagan
Gurf Morlix
Juliana Murphy
Nakia
Scrappy Jud Newcomb
Graham Parker
Amanda Pearcy
Grace Pettis
Pierce Pettis
Rod Picott
Kerry Polk
Karen Poston
Jenny Reynolds
Kimmie Rhodes
Charlie Robison
Raina Rose
Tom Russell
Matthew Ryan
Bob Schneider
Amanda Shires
Darden Smith
Dirje Smith
Betty Soo
Ricky Stein
Scorpio Rising
Forest Sun
John Townes Van Zandt, II
Graham Weber
Kevin Welch
Eleanor Whitmore
Graham Wilkinson
Lucinda Williams
Jesse Winchester
Alexa Woodward

Cc: William Powers, University of Texas President